''You don't know how much this means to me to be back here and get my jersey retired,'' Wilkins told a sellout crowd at Philips Arena during halftime of the Hawks game against the Los Angeles Clippers. ''Last, I'd like to say to the fans, I really took for granted how much you fans meant to me. When I left Atlanta, I really understood how fans stick behind a superstar in this city.''

Wilkins, who played 12 seasons in Atlanta, received several standing ovations, the loudest cheers coming when he embraced his brother Gerald, a longtime NBA forward, and acknowledged former coach Mike Fratello.

''They meant more to me in my career than anyone I'll ever know,'' Wilkins said. ''Mike is probably the most underrated NBA coach of all time.''

Aside from Gerald Wilkins and retired coach Kevin Loughery, Spud Webb was the only former Hawk in attendance.

Wilkins, who turned 41 Friday, helped Hawks president Stan Kasten, who was booed lustily, raise the retired jersey to the rafters. Wilkins joined Bob Pettit and Lou Hidson as the only players whose jerseys have been retired by the Hawks.

''I give the Hawks organization a lot of credit for bringing me back and making me a part of the Hawks organization and the Hawks family,'' said Wilkins, who rejoined the team this season in a largely ceremonial position. ''I'll always be a Hawk.''

He has gotten over the most traumatic day of his career -- Feb. 24, 1994, when the Hawks traded their greatest player to the lowly Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning.

Manning finished that season in Atlanta, then moved on. Wilkins bounced around to Boston, San Antonio and Orlando -- with stops in Greece and Italy -- before his career ended in 1999.

Wilkins, a nine-time All-Star, averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists during his NBA career. He retired as the league's eighth-leading scorer with 26,668 points.

No one has worn No. 21 for the Hawks since Wilkins was traded.

''That was by design, not by accident,'' Kasten said. ''He is known as the very symbol of our franchise and our time here in Atlanta.''

Wilkins left Georgia after his junior year and was drafted in the first round by the New Orleans Jazz, who made one of the worst trades in NBA history when they sent him to the Hawks for John Drew and Freeman Williams.

Wilkins quickly became the leader of a team that included Roundfield, Rollins and Eddie Johnson. The Hawks reached the Eastern Conference semifinals three times, including a dramatic series with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in 1988.

In Game 7, Wilkins and Larry Bird had one of the most thrilling duels in playoff history. Bird hit 9-of-10 shots in the fourth quarter for 20 of his 34 points, while Wilkins scored 16 of his game-high 47.

''That was the greatest game because of the situation we were in,'' Wilkins said. ''Seventh game, playoffs, Larry Bird-Dominique in a very heated confrontation. It doesn't get any better than that.''

But the Celtics won, ending Atlanta's best chance for a championship during Wilkins' career.

Rick Mahorn, who played for Detroit's ''Bruise Brothers'' in the late 1980s, had several memorable duels with Wilkins.

When the Pistons played Atlanta, they knew Wilkins was the player who had to be stopped.

''We kind of like corralled him into a position where if one guy's going to hit him, we're all going to hit him,'' Mahorn said. ''We really played very physical against him and we made sure if he made shots, he was going to make a jump shot.''

While Wilkins was best-known for his scoring exploits, he also is Atlanta's career leader in steals.

''I loved Dominique as a player,'' said Golden State's Chris Mullin, who went against Wilkins for more than a decade. ''Sometimes his spectacular play overshadowed what a great player he was. The Human Highlight Film was one thing, but he was a great, great player.''

Wilkins played with five teams over the final five years of his career. He was waived by Orlando in 1999 after averaging just five points in 27 games, depriving him of an official retirement.

Now the Hawks rectified that oversight.

''It shows their appreciation for me,'' said Wilkins, who spent a whirlwind week doing interviews, photo shoots and promotional appearances. ''You'll just see your jersey up in the rafters forever. It's hard to put into words what that means.''